This invention generally relates to protective corner pads for crated objects, such as appliances, furniture or the like. More particularly, this invention relates to improved protective pads formed from corrugated paperboard with a novel self-locking feature when assembled.
Shipment of furniture, appliances and other objects in conventional shipping crates or cartons often requires protective pads at the corners of such containers, and sometimes, at other locations, in order both to protect the object and to reduce or prevent shifting of the object in the carton during shipment. Protective pads have been developed using integral corrugated paperboard blanks designed to be folded into useful configurations for protective pad utilization.
Corrugated paperboard blanks capable of being formed into protective pads are widely used and enjoy substantial commercial preference. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,509,468 describes a corrugated paperboard corner pad assembled from a blank by folding to provide a rectangular base having four thicknesses, and vertical, triangular sides at right angles likewise having four thicknesses; each triangular side is provided with a notch and tongue to secure the folded corner configuration. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,038 describes a corner pad assembled from a corrugated paperboard sheet folded so that a three wall configuration of multiple-ply walls has one of the walls provided with locking tabs to secure the folded configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,112 describes a corner pad in which a sheet of corrugated paperboard is folded into generally double-paneled walls in which sections of a base are joined at mitered edges including a tongue and a notch respectively formed to lock the folded configuration.
The prior art devices identified have not been satisfactory for several cogent reasons. Generally, these have utilized complex configurations of panels with unduly complicated assembly thereof. Another deficiency has been lack of suitable thickness for the pad so that desirable pad protection could be achieved, especially for large, bulky and heavy objects or objects such as furniture made of wood which was easily damaged in shipment. Finally, the locking of the pad assembly after folding was not sufficiently reliable.
Another deficiency of prior art structures was the failure to provide a single foldable blank which could be assembled, selectively, either as a corner pad or an edge pad with equally desirable results.